Salty and Sweet
by mintteas
Summary: Kai didn't exactly understand what twist of fate had led her to team up with the boy avatar, his cranky, sort-of girlfriend, her even crankier, ponytailed brother, and a blind (still cranky) metalbender. All she knew was that her mega, super, king of cranky ex-betrothed had just joined the group, and there was absolutely no way this meant anything good. [Zuko/OC, Kataang, Tokka]
1. Chapter 1

She could still remember the day she had been brought to see him. She had been nine, and entirely unwilling to go to the palace that afternoon - she'd made herself a solid itinerary that involved a lot of fire lily picking and doll playing with the new Mika figurine her father had brought home from the siege of Ba Sing Sei. It was with a heavy heart and much, much heavier sighing that Kai had accompanied her father, Lieutenant General Hideyori Sato, and her mother to the guarded throne room of the Fire Nation Palace.

As they waited for an audience with the Fire Lord, Kai's mother grew increasingly more anxious; this usually meant that she grew exponentially fussier as well. First, she agitated herself over her husband, whose gardbrace _seemed_ off-center and decidedly unpolished, then herself, as she criticized her poor dress choice (it was _absolutely _inappropriate to wear in the presence of royalty), and, lastly, over every element of Kai's present being. It was only at this point that Lieutenant General Sato shushed her urgently, hissing out a mildly reprimanding "_Okuni!_" as the grand throne room doors creaked open.

From behind them, a minister emerged - recognizing Kai's father, they exchanged slight bows and quiet words. Kai's vantage point did not allow her to hear much more than the mumbled "congratulations," from the minister, and her father's equally silent thanks. Even with perfect hearing, she would not have understood much of what was said, nor cared, for that matter - there was too much to dislike about this particular situation.

The minister stepped aside, gesturing for them to enter. With a short nod, Lieutenant General Sato led his family into the grand throne room. While her mother gaped in awe at the majesty she beheld, Kai could not find herself appreciating the stuffy heat of the place. Yet, with the amount of fire that enclosed the room, it was inexplicably dark, and Kai found herself reaching out for her mother's hand as they walked towards the throne. She tried to get a glimpse of the Fire Lord, but her attempts were cut short by her father's deep bowing towards the hidden Lord of the Fire Nation.

They had practiced this at home for days, and hours on end within. It started with Kai falling to her knees (as though she weren't too close to the floor for her own age already), then folding her hands across one another, palms flat on the floor, before she bent over and pressed her forehead to them. Watching her father do so, she followed suit, shakily and slowly. Her parents had already stood up before she straightened up once again.

Her eyes trailed across the long line of flames that crackled and swayed before her eyes, wondering if the Fire Lord was, in fact, _that_ unattractive to have to hide behind the fire. Of course, the school had provided their students many activities that involved having to look at portraits of the Fire Lord, who was handsome, in his own right - at least, according to the artist. Still, Kai had always thought it was suspicious - surely, not _all_ the headmasters and headmistresses in the Fire Nation had seen the Fire Lord. She could not verify this fact, no matter her efforts, as the flames were too high, and she was, to her chagrin, too short, anyway.

"My liege," Lieutenant General Sato said breathlessly, his eyes fixed upon the face of a Fire Lord he could not see. Kai understood that, usually, dialogues coalesced when two people exchanged words at regular and short intervals. This, then, was not meant to be much of a dialogue, as the Fire Lord took much time before he spoke, allowing the heat from the flames to wash over their faces.

Kai raised a hand to her face, determined to wipe off the sweat from the bridge of her nose, but her mother caught her, and she had to content herself to sullenly wondering why the Fire Lord refused to say anything. The Fire Lord, she supposed, was entitled to speak at his own pleasure, but it was still undoubtedly rude to keep her father waiting earnestly for his reply. When the Fire Lord finally found it in himself to say something, he did so with a flat voice that suggested he had better things to do than entertain her family. She understood this feeling, perhaps much more than anyone in this room could, but found it was a bit unfair that he could show his displeasure, seeing as _he_ had called them there, and not the other way around.

"Lieutenant General… Sato," the Fire Lord drawled, not attempting to hide his grappling for the name. "Welcome."

"It is an honor, Fire Lord Ozai, to be welcomed into your palace." Kai's father inclined his head. "May I introduce my wife, Okuni, and my daughter, Kaihime? My son, Kori, unfortunately, could not come to audience, as he-"

"Mmm – yes." Fire Lord Ozai didn't seem the least bit interested in introductions and family backgrounds. "You must know why I have summoned you here, Lieutenant General?"

"My lord, I-" The officer began slowly, but was once again cut short.

"You have been summoned here for your services in the siege of Ba Sing Sei, Lieutenant General. Word has reached me of your… deeds," Kai thought she saw the silhouette behind the flames shift, though not enough to reveal itself. "I have been told that, after my snivelling fool of a brother disappeared from the battle front, it was _you_ that led our men back to our land. Is this true?"

"My Lord, General Iroh was greatly affected by the untimely demise of Prince Lu Ten, he was not of sound mind, and so he-"

"Was what I heard true, Lieutenant General?" The Fire Lord pressed, ignoring the latter comment. "Did you single-handedly lead our forces back to the Fire Nation?"

"Y-yes, sir, but-"

"Then, would that mean that you had done what your commanding officer could not?"

"Prince Lu Ten's death, your highness-"

"I would think it fit that you are placed into a new office for your unbounded loyalty to our nation, Lieutenant General Sato," the Fire Lord paused. "_General_ Sato, I would say."

Kai knew her father to be an assertive, oftentimes intimidating man who, when he felt the need to say something, did so without a second thought. This was the reason he had been entrusted with the task of being General Iroh's second-in-command during the siege. It was, indeed, a sight for Kai to behold her father, opening and closing his mouth without a single utterance, like a dragonfish that had been scared out of its wits. She watched in confusion as her esteemed father once again prostrated himself before the Fire Lord. Taking this as another cue to bow, she began to bend her knees, but her mother tugged her back up, giving her a slight shake of the head.

"My lord – my liege – I do not know if I am worthy for the honor you bestow upon me-" Kai could not decide if her father was happy or sad about this news – his voice was thick with emotion, as though he would cry. Now _that_ would be something. Hideyori Sato _never_ cried.

"This gift, I bestow upon you for your services in battle. And, for your loyalty to me," the Fire Lord pressed on, taking great care to enunciate the last three words with much emphasis. "Ask any gift, and if it is in my power, it will be yours."

"I dare not, Fire Lord Ozai."

"General, are we not friends? I offer you this kindness."

Kai was aware that her father and the Fire Lord were the farthest thing from _friends_. Friends were people who played with you and gave you fire flakes in school, not tore you away from a day of resting just to forget your name. In fact, she was sure her father had not even set foot in the throne room before today, let alone seen the Fire Lord. Still, the newly promoted General Sato did not contest this assumption.

"Your highness, I am your most loyal servant. My family and I owe much to your generosity. I offer you my daughter, if you would have her – she is young, and a suitable match for the young prince, if you would find it agreeable to join our houses, so that my family can continue to faithfully serve the Fire Lord and his cause."

No sound nor movement came from the throne. General Sato kept his head close to the ground, not daring to move. Kai felt her shoulder grow increasingly heavier, and intermittent bouts of pain shot through her nerves; her mother had dug her fingernails deep into Kai's skin, and her grip tightened with each passing second. The little girl held her breath, trying not to squeal from the pain.

After what seemed to be an eternity, the Fire Lord once again spoke.

"Your daughter, General?"

"Yes, sire."

"A match for my son."

"If – only if it would please you, my liege."

"My son is the crowned prince of the Fire Nation. The subject of his betrothal must not be taken lightly. His future queen must be the pinnacle of servitude to her lord - as must her family. I cannot afford my line of succession to be brought down by one foolish matchmaking mistake." Kai thought she heard a twinge of amusement enter the Fire Lord's voice. "Can you assure me of that, General?"

"I assure you, my lord," Kai's father replied, face still turned to the floor. "We are your humble servants."

The Fire Lord, as Kai realized, was not one to continue a conversation at good frequency. Once again, he subjected everyone to a long pause of contemplation, which he ended by standing up, allowing her to see his face, glowing a dangerous orange, for the first time.

"I trust you, General. I trust you because you did what your commanding officer could not. I trust you, because you have shown great strength and wise strategy in the span of your career."

"Yes, my lord."

"I trust that your daughter will prove to be a suitable match for my son."

"Yes, my lord."

And I trust you, for I _know_," the Fire Lord paused briefly, letting this word's multiple implications sink in. "you and your family will remain devoted to_ me_."

"Nothing would give us greater pleasure, my liege."

Kai was so engrossed in the act of dissecting the Fire Lord's sharp, handsome features (her noodle drawings did no justice, she knew now) that she hardly felt the tugging at her skirt – startled, she saw her mother already coming to her knees. Hastily, Kai bent down, her shins hitting the floor hard and without grace. She was careful not to let her hair fall over her eyes as she craned her neck, keeping her gaze on the Fire Lord, who regarded them with an unreadable expression.

"Very well." He said, finally. "That will be all for today, General. I expect you to report in for the war council at dawn tomorrow. You are dismissed."

"My lord," General Sato said once again, before straightening up. Kai and her mother followed suit. The Fire Lord gave one, nearly indiscernible nod before settling back down, allowing the fire to shield him from view once again.

Hideyori Sato led his family out of the throne room, carefully taking slow, purposeful strides. An image of confidence and composure, he walked out of the throne room, wife and daughter close behind, until he turned from the hall and into the bridge that led to the garden, and out of the palace proper. Only here did he finally stop, turning swiftly around to his wife, who had all but fainted from the swift shift of events.

"_Hideyori-_" Kai's mother began, but was once again shushed, this time, much more gently. She lowered her voice, though her whisper was not as quiet as her husband had wanted it to be. "A promotion? And Kai – a _betrothal_ to the prince– I could faint-

"It would do no good to do that here, Okuni," and though her father tried very hard to conceal his shock and joy, Kai saw it shine through his eyes, barely contained.

"I don't even really know what the prince looks like," Kai interjected, feeling as though her parents were reacting rather oddly to that excessively strange encounter with the Fire Lord. After all, she felt there had been more awkward pauses than actual words.

"He's a prince, Kai," her mother said. "Of course, he is handsome."

Kai knew there was something wrong with this bit of logic, but she couldn't really figure out what it was.

"Kaihime, listen to me," her father knelt down to her level, fixing his eyes upon hers. His face was now lined with all seriousness, and she felt a twinge of fear. "The Fire Lord has approved your betrothal to his son. That means-"

"I marry the prince."

"Yes. Which means you will be queen, someday, if all goes well. This is an enormous privilege, and responsibility. So," he gripped her shoulders tight. "All _must_ go well. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"You must be prepared to deal with the ways of court. You must learn how to serve your husband. And you must not give the Fire Lord any reason to doubt our loyalty."

"Yes, sir."

"You must not fail me here, Kaihime."

"Yes," she sighed. "Yes, father."

Her father gave a curt nod, straightening up. "Come. Kori should be home from training by now."

Kai shuffled after her parents as they crossed the bridge that led them to the outer palace. As they passed the garden, her ears picked up a sound – a faint whoosh, accompanied with a hiss and occasional crackle that reminded her vaguely of the throne room. Looking up, she saw jets of fire light up the afternoon sky, brilliantly red against the fading sun. The source was a lean boy in a loose training uniform, who jerked and kicked at thin air, frequently letting loose a burst of flames from his tight, pale fist, his dark ponytail swinging behind him from his swift movements.

She watched as a servant hurried towards him, just as he finally collected himself, letting out a long, slow breath.

"My prince," the servant said breathlessly. "Your father wishes to see you. We dare not delay."

Kai narrowed her eyes – so this was the young prince she was bound to marry. He did not look anything like what she had imagined, though, what she had really imagined, she was not too sure. This boy was the reason she had to come to court today. This boy, she would have to bow to and serve for the rest of her life.

It wasn't as if she hadn't heard of a betrothal before. In fact, her mother and father, and their respective parents before them had all been an arranged match. This was something she had expected, though not necessarily looked forward to. Whatever the case, given her excessively foul mood as of today, she could not find it in herself to accept this intrusive prince in her life just yet. And what was he doing, the bumbling idiot, firebending in a _garden_?

Kai watched him with apprehension as he made for the other end of the bridge, hurrying towards the direction from which they had come. He passed them, and, in his hurry, snagged Kai's shoulder with his sharp elbow. She let out a _humph_ of pain and annoyance as he stopped, turning to her, apologetic.

"I'm sorry-" he began, but stopped as he saw the deep frown on her face. His brows came together in confusion.

She wasn't sure what had possessed her to do it, but she found it appropriate for her mood. Very carefully, so her mother would not catch her, she parted her lips slightly, and stuck her tongue out at him.

It was with a feeling of satisfaction that she saw shock widen the young prince's eyes, and turned the corner knowing she had, in some way, just given the next Fire Lord a piece of her mind.

* * *

**Author's Note: **So I haven't written on in AGES, and thought this would be a good way to pick back up.

Note that this will be mildly canon, the biggest foreseeable change so far being Tokka (which will happen, because I'm still in denial, okay), but in terms of show events, it will try to be as faithful _as possible._

Now, before you go on thinking this is going to be one of those prologue then skip to 29458409852 years later kind of thing: it's not. A good portion of the beginning _will _focus on Kai and Zuko's relationship, and how exactly it becomes an _ex-betrothal_. Note also that, while I have mentioned this, I will take much liberties in time jumps, when I think it's necessary, so watch out for that. I don't want this to be _too _long.

Lastly, there is a big shout out to LOK's Asami Sato, who is a non-bender, just like Kai will be. However, there is the idea of biology and recessive genes and all that jazz, which will hopefully not be confusing, and will much more hopefully be explained later on as the story goes along. My point is, she's a non-bender. And if anyone is wondering _how did Ozai allow that match to happen, she's not a firebender?!_ I decided to assume that he's not _that_ racist, seeing as he did marry Ursa, who, as far as my knowledge goes, is also not a bender. Canon-wise, he also allowed (I guess?) Zuko to date Mai, who isn't a bender, and Azula is friends with Mai and Ty Lee, so I'm thinking it's not a big deal. As long as you're Fire Nation, you're good to go.

Anyway, to wrap this up, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this prologue! I know I've just started, but I sincerely hope you'll embark on this journey with me, and, hopefully, we all can enjoy this story as it unfolds.

Cheers!


	2. Chapter 2

Kori was already home when Kai and her parents returned – he was busy fishing through the pantry, looking for something to eat. This was standard; if Kori was not in training or in school, he could be found raiding the cupboards in the kitchen, exemplifying Okuni Sato's excuse of his being _a growing boy. _Upon hearing them arrive, Kori emerged to greet them, jelly donut in hand, his gangly, near-thirteen form taking up most of the height of the doorway.

"Where did you come from?" He asked, words thick and muffled by his snack. His mother, first in line to enter, threw him a patronizing look.

"From an audience with the Fire Lord, which," Kai replied, climbing onto the couch. "you _didn't _go to, which means _you're _in trouble. Right, papa?"

"No," Hideyori Sato, closing the front door, raised a mildly amused eyebrow at his daughter's deep frown. "How was training, son?"

"Good, sir," Kori inclined his upper body slightly at the sight of his father. "Master Liu allowed me to engage in second level forms."

"And was Master Liu pleased by his student's performance?"

"I hope so, sir."

"Practice harder, Kori," General Sato reminded him. "practice, if you ever hope to be part of our esteemed army."

"Kori wants to be a royal firebender," Kai piped in, picking at a loose thread on her robe. "He wants to guard the Fire Lord."

"Which he will," General Sato said. "If he practices."

"Yes, sir."

With a nod, the newly appointed general entered his study, shutting the door quietly behind him. Kai's mother approached, shooing her daughter's hand away from the loose thread and tugging the dress up over her head. She left Kai in her shirt and loose pants, clucking all the way to the back door.

Kori settled himself next to his younger sister, still holding his half-eaten jelly donut aloft. "What was he like?"

"Who?"

"The Fire Lord, dummy."

"I don't know. Tall, I guess. Looks the way he does in the portraits, I think."

"You were there all afternoon, but you didn't even get a good look?"

"We were barely inside for fifteen minutes," she sniffed. "And most of it was the Fire Lord not talking. And there was fire. Lots of it."

"Well, he _is_ the Fire Lord." Kori shrugged, taking another bite. "What did you do, then?"

"Not much. He and dad just talked."

"What about?"

"Dad was promoted," Kai chewed on her lip. "to General."

Kori looked shocked, but pleased. "About time. Was that all?"

"No. I got betrothed."

"This is news," Kori shifted his weight, now facing her fully. "To who? A general's son? I hope it's not that Gaku kid, he's such a pain in the butt in firebending training-"

"No, to the prince."

This time, Kori showed nothing but surprise. "How did you manage that?"

"I didn't. Dad asked the Fire Lord, and he said yes, but only if I behaved."

"Well, of course you have to behave." Kori popped the last of the jelly donut into his mouth, his sagely tone marred by his ghastly eating habits. "This isn't just any dumb betrothal. You're marrying the prince, which means you'll have to sit like a princess, and eat like a princess, and talk like a princess - to be completely honest, maybe you should just call it off while you haven't met him yet."

Kai slammed her fist into his shoulder as hard as she could - to Kori, it only felt like a small bird colliding with him, and he barked out a laugh.

"I take it back. You _hit_ like a princess, so you should be fine."

She crossed her arms, evidently upset. "I'm not sure I want to marry the prince."

"Why not? Is he ugly? Or stupid? Or cruel?"

"He's not ugly, and I don't really know if he's stupid or cruel," she trailed off, then hastened to add. "But he _could_ be."

"Ugly?"

"No, stupid or cruel."

"Well, you'll have to live with it, if you ever want to be queen."

Kai let out a heavy sigh. "I don't know if I _want_ to be queen, Kori."

"Sure you do. Every girl wants to be queen." Kori shrugged, like this answered everything.

"What if I'm not good at it, though?"

"Then you'll be assassinated," Kori almost laughed again, but, seeing his sister's frightened expression, was quick to soothe her. "But you have nothing to worry about, because you'll be a very good queen, alright, Kai? Don't think about it."

"I don't want to marry the prince," she repeated.

"Why not?" He reiterated in kind.

"Because - because - because he hit me a while ago." She pouted. "And because I don't know anything about him, and I think he might be a dumb, cruel, spoiled prince, that's why."

"I'm sure it was an accident, and I'm sure he's not-"

"How can you know?"

"I'm thirteen, Kai. I know these things, okay?" He smiled. "Just stop worrying about it. Hey, want to practice firebending?"

She aimed another weak punch at her brother, who blocked it easily with an open palm.

"You know I'm not a firebender."

"You could be my target," he suppressed a chuckle.

Sticking her tongue out, she stood and drew herself to her full height - which wasn't much, but the effort was clearly there. "The target you'll never hit."

"Mmm," Kori, too, got to his feet, and bounded to the door, opening it for his sister with a mischievous grin. "We'll see, little sister."

* * *

It was far too early in the morning when Kai felt her mother shaking her awake. From beyond her subconscious state, she could hear the bustle of her family, already up and starting their day. She felt her mother's breath tickle her left ear as she whispered.

"Wake up, Kai."

"Mmm," was the young girl's reply, turning over and away from her mother. She wasn't absolutely sure, but she would have bet her weekly allowance that she hadn't dreamed her mother clicking her tongue in annoyance.

"Kaihime, get up. You're going to be late."

"Late for wha-ha-hat?" Her question drew itself out by her yawning.

"For your appointment at the palace."

"What?" She groaned, squeezing her eyes together tighter. "Why? We were just there yesterday-"

"Because _you_ have a meeting with the prince, and you _cannot_ be late. Now, _up_."

Kai drew herself up reluctantly, pouting at the wall opposite her. "They probably don't ask the prince to wake up _this_ early to meet with anyone."

"That's because we wait on the prince, not the other way around." Okuni tugged on her daughter's arm, but the rest of the body would not budge - exasperated, she let go, and Kai's arm fell limp back onto the bed. "Ten minutes, Kaihime. Your father needs to leave for war council."

"_Ten minutes-"_

"Yes, Kai, _ten,_ so you best get moving." With that, Okuni left Kai's room, the younger woman with a sullen look on her face. She spared no noise in dressing, hoping that her incessant thumping and irked groaning would annoy her father to the point that he would leave her behind, allowing her to continue sleeping. But Hideyori Sato was no fool, and had the tactical patience that was expected of his office; it was because of this that Kai, much to her distress, found her father slowly emptying his teacup with a forced pleasantness to his expression as she exited her room.

"Shall we, Kai? I assume you've finished dressing, as the house seems to have quieted down considerably." General Sato stood, placing his cup firmly down onto the wooden table.

Kai let out a sigh, hanging her head in defeat. Then, for the second time in two days, she would have to go to the palace. "Yes, sir."

* * *

The Fire Nation palace held less wonder than it had the day before, which was saying something, for Kai had already been in too foul a mood to appreciate it during her first visit. She and her father walked the same path, all the way to the throne room, although, this time, General Sato stopped her from passing through the doors.

"You'll wait here, Kaihime. You will meet with the prince shortly."

"You mean I don't have to go inside?" Her eyes lit up hopefully.

"I mean, you _cannot_ go inside," Her father smiled slightly, knowing the look on her face was not one of disappointment, but relief. "But wait _right_ here. Someone will collect you, and bring you to-"

"General Sato!" A loud voice prevented Kai from finding out exactly where or to whom she would be brought, though it was already evident to her.

"War minister Gozu," both men exchanged the expected greeting, a tight fist supporting an open palm, bent to a perfect ninety degrees.

"Come, let us proceed." War minister Gozu began to usher General Sato into the throne room. "Fire Lord Ozai does not like to be kept waiting."

"Indeed. I will just see my daughter off, minister," Hideyori Sato nodded Gozu off, then turned back to Kai, raising a stern finger. "Stay."

"Yes, sir."

"No wandering."

"Yes," she sighed, shifting her weight from foot to foot.

"Be respectful to the prince. Remember, he is to be the next Fire Lord."

"Yes, sir," she didn't think it was worth mentioning that she had just stuck out her tongue rudely to _the next Fire Lord_ not twenty four hours prior.

"_Be good_," he said with much finality, before placing his hand lightly on her hair, patting the crown of her head lightly. With that, he entered the throne room, the grandiose doors closing firmly behind him.

Good? She was good. She was very, _very _good. And she would be to the prince, if he managed to behave as well.

Maybe.

Kai huffed at nothing, running her eyes over the palace interior. It _was_ a sight, truly, though not one a child's mind could fully grasp. It did look expensive, with its high walls and rich carvings, its marble floors and fine tapestries depicting epic scenes from a battle fought by one or another royalty. She travelled down the hall, gazing up at each work of art. All she noticed was that almost every single one of them involved a massive amount of firebending, which held no interest for her at all. Also, the faces on each portrait were so intensely stern that she could not help but feel like there were ten million Fire Lord Ozai's glaring down at her, wondering if she was, indeed, right to wed the crowned prince.

Speaking of, Kai, suddenly jolting out of her trance, looked around and found herself deep into the hallway - the throne room was a tiny speck to her right, and to her left was another endless stretch of marble that seemed to lead to an abyss.

So much for staying put, then.

She resolved to march back to the throne room, and did so with all the speed she could muster. Only then did she notice a tiny dot growing larger and larger, as though it were charging straight towards her.

It wasn't a dot - it was a servant, huffing and puffing, trying to reach her. When it seemed the poor man could no longer run the length of this hallway marathon, Kai decided to close the gap, and approached him cautiously.

"L-Lad… Lady… Kh- Kaihime…" the servant wheezed, clutching at his heart. "Prince… Pr- Prince Zuko… he- he awaits you."

Unable to respond - the desperate, labored breath seemed to render her speechless - she nodded, and the servant took slow, careful steps in turning around and leading her through the labyrinth of the palace interior.

It seemed an age and a day before they arrived at the large sitting room that was meant to be the rendezvous point. When she entered, she was disappointed to find that it was completely empty.

"I thought the prince-" she started, but was cut off by the servant.

"Please, have a seat, my lady. I will inform the prince that you have arrived." Before she could ask exactly _where_ it was in that enormous collection of couches she was meant to settle, the servant had dashed off - the puffing and panting fading away until it was once again silent. Decided that it didn't matter, she slumped into the nearest armchair, picking at her nails.

_I thought the prince _awaited _me,_ she sniffed to herself. Her mother's voice, in turn, rang through her consciousness.

_We wait on the prince, not the other way around._

_Blah blah,_ she rolled her eyes heavenward. _This is boring. I want to go home. I haven't even eaten! Gods, I'm so hungry. Hungry. Hungryyyyyyyyy-_

Her extensive and elaborate train of thought was presently interrupted by the sound of the sitting room door opening again. She stood up to see the servant coming in first, looking, once again, out of breath.

"May I present," he paused, trying to steady his oxygen intake. "His Highness, Prince Zuko."

The servant shuffled to the side, allowing a new figure to enter the room - a vaguely familiar silhouette, though Kai did not need any extra time to guess. After all, there had been an introduction, and she had just seen the same pale skin and considerable height and weirdly obnoxious ponytail the day before, as it entered the room now.

They stared at each other for quite some time as the servant slinked out of the room, closing the door behind him. This gave Kai a lengthy opportunity to dissect the crowned prince in full: his cheeks were full and rosy, but his jaw was hard, angular. Brigt gold eyes, the trademark of a firebender, shifted from side to side. His shoulders and elbows were still bony, but promised to fill out its proper broad frame given time.

They stared at each other for a length of time, testing the air and weighing the situation. The young prince made the first move, stretching out a slightly calloused hand towards an apprehensive Kai.

"Hi. I'm Zuko."

Her eyes were no longer fixed on his face - they were instead glued to his hand, with a look of apprehension and fear, as though she were afraid it would hit her, or pop off, or turn into a platypus bear. Dry lips - she ran her tongue along the flesh, clearing her throat. She meant to be as courteous as her parents expected - say something like, _hello, Prince Zuko. My name is Kai. Nice to meet you._ But the only thing she managed to say was:

"Yeah, I know who you are."

* * *

The servant was the one who had reminded the young prince that he was to meet his new betrothed today. He had already been up at dawn, practicing his firebending forms (minus the actual fire) in his chambers. Halfway through the Dragon's Whip, there had been a knock at the door, accompanied by a weak, breathless voice that notified him of the arrival of the Lady Kaihime, who was already waiting in the east sitting room. In his rush, all the while chastising himself for his forgetfulness, he had almost forgotten to don a fresh shirt.

Fire Lord Ozai had asked the newly promoted General Sato to ensure his daughter's best behavior as the future queen. However, Zuko was not aware of this. In fact, when the crowned prince was summoned to the throne room shortly after the departure of the Sato family, he was met with a sharp reminder that he should not, through his countless faults, embarrass himself, and by extension, his father, and thereby disgrace his name and the heritage he carried on his shoulders. Of course, Zuko vowed he would not fail his father, despite his initial confusion as to why this particular girl, out of all the girls in the Fire Nation, was so important. Not that he had asked, nor would have, given a second opportunity; he had learned at an early age to take his father's condescending words in stride, in an attempt to please the latter.

It was, then, a large surprise to Zuko that this Lady Kaihime was not inclined to present herself in a similarly polite manner, considering he was the prince, and also taking into account the fact that they did not know each other at all.

Or didn't they? His hand still held aloft, he squinted at her face. It was as if he had seen her in a dream, or a midday hallucination. But he was sure there was no way - he rarely interacted with other young noblewomen, with the exception of his sister's friends, who were as irksome as they were vapid. He received no help in understanding why she was so familiar, as the young girl was still standing stiff, her arms locked to her sides as though she had been petrified.

Then again, her statement shouldn't have surprised him - he was, after all, royalty, and everyone knew him by name, even those in the border, and the colonies in the Earth Kingdom. Still, it was the way she had said it, like he had punched her in the face, or pulled her hair, or… or-

It came back to him in one exasperated flash: she had been the little girl he'd bumped into as they crossed paths on the garden bridge. Was she still upset about that? Girls were _impossible_.

"Oh," feeling his arm ache, he let it fall to his side, limp. The muscles in his shoulder stung. "Okay. Well, I don't know who _you_ are, so…"

"So?"

"_So_, what's your name?"

"Kai."

"Kai," he echoed.

"It's short for Kaihime."

"How old are you?"

"Nine," she answered, her face still infuriatingly sullen. Had she dislocated her shoulder from that bump? Was there a bruise? What could he have possibly done to receive such cold treatment from someone he had not, before this confrontation, ever encountered in his life?

"Oh. I'm ten."

"Uh-huh," she replied, uninterested. An awkward silence fell, and he rummaged through his brain for a way to salvage the situation.

"So - you're… betrothed to me." Even before he had finished the sentence, he already knew it was not the best topic for an introductory meeting.

"Yes. I'm going to marry you."

"Is that okay with you?"

"Why not?" She frowned.

"I thought it might not be." He shrugged.

"You thought wrong," she pursed her lips, raising a foot and tapping the tip of her toes against the carpeted floor.

"Then what's wrong?"

She narrowed her eyes. "What's wrong? Nothing."

Usually, when women say nothing's wrong, they do, in fact, mean that something is, and that they are furious at their partner, and that there was much to be fixed in the situation. However, in this case, there really _was_ nothing wrong, at least, in Kai's perspective. It was just that she was the kind of child that did not know how to make good friends with people at first sight, and tended to snap at them, or, at times, bully them, due to their lack of knowledge on the subject of companionship and good conversation. This applied to everyone, royalty or not, and applied especially to the ponytailed firebending prince that had, through one or another manner, had forced her to come to the palace two days in a row.

Zuko could not have been expected to know this, and took Kai's animosity as a challenge. He, on the contrast, was the kind of little boy that attempted to have as good a moral compass as possible. However, he was also the type of child that responded to anger in kind, despite their desire to be as peaceful as possible; it was a defense mechanism, that he had exercised so much on his unbearable younger sister, to the point that it had become a natural reflex.

It was because of these traits in each individual child that near-tangible tension did not delay in building itself in the atmosphere of the east sitting room.

"All right," Zuko folded his arms across his chest. "So, tell me about your family."

"What does my family have anything to do with this?"

"I'd like to know what I'm getting into."

"I'd like to know what _I'm_ getting into," she repeated. Zuko felt his face heat up.

"You can't talk to me like that," he said, trying to assume a stern tone. "I'm your Fire Lord."

Her lips drew themselves into a thin line of suppressed anger. He knew he had gotten her - with an admirable amount of restraint, she turned on her heel, sitting back down.

"You're supposed to wait for me to sit," he informed her.

With a soft groan, she stood up, gesturing to the nearest cushion. He shook his head.

"I don't feel like sitting."

"So what _do_ you feel like doing?" She said through gritted teeth.

"Father says I should get to know you. We'll be together - well, forever, I suppose."

"You can't get to know me sitting down?" She asked.

"I don't feel like sitting," he repeated. "I've just come from firebending practice-"

"In the garden?" she finished for him, though she was wrong. Still, his eyebrows rocketed up.

"What do you mean?"

"You know it's stupid to practice _firebending_ with a lot of _plants_ around, right? Come on," she shook her head. Zuko felt himself coloring again.

"A good firebender can control his flames."

"You're a good firebender, then?" She said, faking nonchalance. "Because I saw you yesterday and - well, since you're _so_ good, you must have been holding back-"

"What do _you_ know about firebending?"

"My brother's training to be a royal firebender," she bragged. "I watch him practice."

"I don't have to train to be a royal firebender," Zuko rolled his eyes. "I'm already the prince."

"That doesn't mean you're the best at firebending," she plowed on. "I saw your footwork yesterday, and I'm pretty sure it was - what word would Master Liu have used? Sloppy?"

"It was _not_!" Zuko said angrily. "What do _you_ know anyway? You're not a firebender!"

"Yeah, well, I know about it," she said smugly. "And I know you're not as good a firebender as you think you are."

"I'm a good firebender, and my master says that when I grow up, I'll be one of the greatest firebenders the Fire Nation has or will ever see!'

It would have turned out to be a full-blown argument if a new presence had not intervened. Usually, interventions were welcome to serve as stoppers for fights, especially one that was not meant to be a squabble, but rather a pleasant conversation between a future couple. However, this particular mediator did not come bearing kind gifts, but, rather, fuel to the fire.

"Oh please, Zu-zu," a sardonic voice drawled from the doorway. "We all know that's a big fat lie."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Yes! Kai and Zuko finally meet for the first time. OwO And I think we can all guess who that massive interloper is at the end. I wonder what kind of trouble she'll bring to the table?

As usual, I'd like to ask you to review, pretty please, and tell me what you think! I know Zuko and Kai are off to a rough start, but aren't most girls and boys like that when they first meet? :P Also, I'd like to respond to one of the reviews I received about the timeline. Just to clarify: Iroh _did_ disappear from public view for quite a while, and, in that time, Ozai was crowned at Azulon's funeral (which is why Iroh wasn't there). This particular starting point of the story assumes Ozai has rather recently ascended to the throne, and that Iroh is still not home. Hope that clears things up!

I'd like to thank my bb Kallie for planning things out with me. Girl, you are my _rock_. What would I do without you?

**Please REVIEW! :D**


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